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If you break my life up into chapters, I’d say chapter one came to a close the day I graduated from UCSB. Chapter two would be my growth in my professional career amid a few moves within California, with final scenes taking place in Los Angeles. The five years in Japan and this last year of travel and leisure would constitute chapter three, my years of adventure and personal achievements. What comes next is a little bit of the unknown, but I want it to beautifully combine my passions and interests, as well as my enthusiasm for a successful career. Here’s a preview:

My day to day life includes a lot of travel, visiting the properties mentioned, but also attending trade events internationally. London, Berlin, Sydney, Cannes and others are regular visits on my calendar. I also serve as a motivator and coach for the sales teams at each property. My creativity and relation-building skills are constantly put to the test, and I enjoy meeting many new and exciting challenges.

In my free time, I have a chance to soak up Vietnamese culture, and the local scene in Hanoi. Fortunately, there is a warm and welcoming community of expats who live there. Weekends are spent taking hikes in mountain or rural towns like Sapa, or joining in on the Hanoi Hash. I’m sure I’ll even spend a few Friday Nights on the Terrace at the Press Club. I may even decide to spend an occasional weekend in Bangkok, Singapore or Hong Kong. And Japan is only five hours away, so there is no doubt I am due for a visit.

It’s a nice story, right? What I am so very pleased to tell you is that it is all TRUE! I am officially employed!!! I have been waiting a little over a week to share the terrific news, but wanted to do so after the contract was signed! The ink just dried!

Thanks largely to my friend Kurt, who I stayed with when I visited Hanoi (you’ve read the story in my newsletter), I was recommended for the job, interviewed, and got it! What is wonderful is that this is exactly the type of position I was focusing on in my search. This is a move which serves as an intriguing step in my professional career and which should prove to provide many thrilling moments in my personal life, as well!

I will be headed to Hanoi sometime in December, in time for a big trade event, ATF – ASEAN Travel Forum – which will take place in Hanoi January 5th, 2009. It’s a good time to be introduced to all sorts of contacts and friends. Of course I would love to hop on a plane today, but the brief delay allows me just a bit more time with my family and friends, time to shop for business suits (it’s been awhile!) and a chance to enjoy a few more holidays before I get caught up in the craziness of a new job.

One of the things I am most pleased with is the occasion to live overseas again. I am looking forward to continuing On The Bright Side (of course!), and returning the blog to its original purpose; sharing my passion for foreign cultures and people. I mean, I could continue to pick up on wacky stories like the eating competition I posted below, or could, instead, bring you a slice of life from abroad. Hmmm. Yeah. Clear choice for me, too! Between now and my departure date, I hope to share with you any interesting facts I find on Vietnam or Hanoi, as I am doing a lot of research to prepare for my move.

While I will be appreciating a certain handful of friends individually for helping me in my job search, I do want to say THANK YOU to all of you for your support during my search. It always helps to have a cheering section, especially one filled with awesome friends! Your encouragement provided many boosts of confidence and I feel so lucky to have you all in my life!!! In a very big way – WE did it! Yaaay!

If you want to learn more about Apple Tree Asia or any of the specific properties, you can click on the highlighted text for the links.